Out of the Ashes
by Surflilu246
Summary: Taichi and the others battled Myotismon in Odaiba, but they failed to defeat him. Now each of the chosen children are separated and trying to survive in what's become the world. Some are still fighting, some have given up, and some have fallen into the evil clutches of Myotismon and his henchmen. Each child's struggle is different, but can they unite once more to save the world?
1. Chapter 1

Taichi Yagami slammed the door to his tiny apartment and tried to flick on the lights, forgetting that they hadn't worked all week. Electricity was out in his part of Tokyo, which wasn't unusual. Nothing was reliable anymore. Nothing. The boy clenched his fist around a ball of paper in his hand before tossing it onto the ground and falling onto his tiny, tattered sofa. He kicked his feet up on a crate he used as a coffee table and leaned his head back in anger. It was another false lead.

Taichi sat there for a few moments in his despair before before willing himself to get up and head into the bathroom. The lights didn't work, so he used the flashlight he kept conveniently on the sink. It was the only way he could shower with light- when the water decided to work, anyways. The boy looked at himself in the mirror. He looked different than he had six years ago. His 17-year-old face was more defined- partly from age, and partly because he went to bed hungry nearly every night. His jaw was rugged and bold. He could grow some facial hair when he wanted to, but he didn't like the appearance of it. Although he was skinnier than he should have been, his body was muscular due to his natural athletic build. He could overpower an average person if he wanted to.

The boy stared at himself in the mirror as if his reflection was unfamiliar. He looked tired and frustrated. Bags were heavy under his eyes, and his lids begged to close. But they couldn't- not yet. With shaking hands, Taichi reached for the scissors in the top drawer. He decided his hair was getting long again, and that wouldn't do. The boy clipped away at his thick locks, letting the brown pieces fall to the floor. Only a few inches of it remained once he was done with his work. He looked at himself again, but he still felt unsatisfied. Taichi didn't feel like himself anymore. Hell, he couldn't even _recognize_ himself without his signature poof of hair. It made him who he was- but that was exactly why it had to go. And goggles? There was no way he could wear those around anymore. He hadn't put them on his head since he was eleven.

Taichi slammed the flashlight back onto the counter and left the bathroom, walking back to where he'd thrown the ball of paper. Seething, he picked it up and uncrumpled it, trying to hold it steady. This had been the most hopeful lead yet, which was why it was such a let-down.

_Yagami, I know who you are and who you're looking for. She's safe. You can find her at the RHQ in Heightan View Terrace each Tuesday at 11 P.M. _

Taichi, now red in the face, tore the paper to shreds. He tossed the pieces on the ground and collapsed back onto the sofa. He tried to keep his mind occupied so he wouldn't cry. He was so tired of crying. It hurt his eyes. Sure, he knew where the RHQ was in Heightan View Terrace. He'd been there a few times before. The RHQ, short for resistance headquarters, wasn't big in that part of the city. A few people there knew who Taichi was, but still not many. The fact that someone knew who he was looking for gave him hope. Perhaps his sister had found a way to contact him safely.

But no. Taichi arrived at the headquarters in Heightan View Terrace with too much hope inside him. He should have known better. No one knew who Hikari was or where she was. No one ever did. He'd visited all the different headquarters in different parts of the city multiple times, but he could never talk to too many people. That hindered his search, but it kept his identity safe. If the wrong person found out who he was or where he was hiding, he was dead meat. Then no one would be able to find Hikari. No one else was even looking.

Well, at least as far as Taichi knew, no one was looking. He hadn't seen Hikari in two years, but it'd been even longer since he'd seen everyone else. All the other chosen children had successfully disappeared from sight. However, in order to disappear completely, they couldn't be seen with each other. It was too risky. There was no way to get in contact, either. Phone lines were out, and the internet was useless. Henchmen were everywhere looking for the digidestined, so they were certainly watching all lines of possible communication. So often, Taichi laid awake in bed wondering about his friends- where were they? How were they? Were they even alive? Had some evil digimon gotten to them? He could try and get in touch with them, but it was too risky. If they were safe, he didn't want to jeopardize that.

Of course though, through the grape vine, or by talking to people at the local resistance headquarters who'd talked to other rebels in different parts of Tokyo, Taichi'd heard some rumors about what his old team was up to. He'd heard that Yamato and Gabumon were still together, but he had no idea where. Jyou was apparently working at an underground relief station, trying to provide aid to innocent people who'd been attacked by henchmen. Koushirou, rumor had it, had lost his mind, and Sora- well, he didn't want to think about where Sora might be. It scared him too much. Mimi was apparently living right under his nose. Someone at the RHQ in Aqua City told him that another digidestined had rented an apartment under a fake name just around the corner, someone with long brown hair who had an obsession with pink. Taichi knew it was Mimi- who else could it be? But what was she doing so close to him? They'd agreed to spread out. Once, about a year or so ago, Taichi could have sworn he'd walked passed her on a crowded street. People who continued to work after the takeover were bustling about on the sidewalks, being hurried and pushed around by some henchmen. She was wearing sunglasses- they were pink. Her hair was still long and her face still looked the same, although she was taller and more lean. That wasn't what gave it away though. As Taichi passed her, he knew she looked familiar, so he turned around instinctively. The girl turned around as well- clearly she'd noticed him too. And they both kept walking away from each other, looking back, trying to resist the urge to run to each other. Although Taichi couldn't see her eyes, he knew from the way her mouth dropped open that she recognized him as well. But a henchman shouted something at her, forcing her to hurry, and they both turned around again, hoping no one had noticed them looking at each other. Taichi hadn't seen her since. It was the only contact he had, and it wasn't nearly enough.

And she was really the only one. Taichi let his head fall back onto the couch, letting the bittersweet memory take him to sleep. His mind and body were both exhausted and he was craving some rest. Although his mind was agitated, he felt his physical self calm down- his breath steadying, his pulse slowing. Sleep was always welcome. It was the only escape from his harsh reality. But rarely did it go uninterrupted, and tonight was no different. Taichi's eyes jolted open once he heard a shout come from outside. He rushed over to his small window to see what was going on, only to find a henchman giving a girl a problem. Taichi rolled his eyes, wishing for once he'd get a full night's sleep before grabbing a knife from his kitchen drawer and running down the steps. He burst outside, wishing he didn't have to feel so responsible, and wishing things like this weren't nightly ordeals. The night air hit him and froze his sweat on his skin. His breath came out of his mouth in the form of fog, the small cloud of nerves rising into the dark sky. Alright, now how was he going to go about this one?

Taichi rounded the corner and analyzed the situation for a moment.

"_You shouldn't be out this late."_

"_I told you, I was late coming back from work! I'm on my way home, I swear!"_

"_Swear all you want, but you're still out past curfew. You know the law!"_

_The young woman backed up into one of the store windows that lined the street. _

"_And you know what happens to people who break the law?" The cruel digimon smirked._

Taichi squinted his eyes and realized the digimon was a Bakemon. Alright, he'd be easy enough to take out. The boy had a record of 55 or 56 now. The whole thing about defeating Bakemon was using the element of surprise. If they were stunned, they were useless. Taichi crept out of the shadows and began to approach him from his blind spot, but the young woman ruined his chance once she glanced in his direction. She only looked for a second, but it was long enough for the Bakemon to notice the small flicker of hope in her eyes. Instantly, he turned around and glared, wasting no time before charging at the boy. Taichi braced himself. It looked like he would have to spare a few more minutes of his life.

The Bakemon came at Taichi with an extended claw, trying to grab him. The boy quickly dodged it by stepping to the side. Bakemon weren't quick or smart, just cruel. Taichi wrapped his arms around the digimon and squeezed tightly, taking his air away before reaching for the knife sticking out of his back pocket.

"Fifty... seven.." The boy grunted once he jammed the knife into the digimon's back. The ghost tried to squeal out in pain, but Taichi forced him into the ground so his voice was muffled. The Bakemon knew he was defeated, but he kept trying to speak.

"Chosen... child..." He muttered, his voice weak. From the bottom of his body, he started to turn into microscopic digital pieces that fluttered away, shining in the moonlight. He turned his head to get a good look at his killer. "Courage.."

"What of it?" Taichi asked, no patience left in him. So what if the digimon figured out his identity? It wasn't like he'd be able to tell any of his accomplices before he died. Taichi glared down at the digimon as he began to disintegrate, completely aware that there'd be no hope to be born again in the real world. This Bakemon was gone for good.

The Bakemon glared back, a sadistic smirk coming to his lips. This puzzled Taichi. He was dying, why was he happy? It was like he had one last trick left in him. "I know who you are.." The ghost began, "and I know where your sister is."

At that, Taichi flipped the ghost over and pounded the back of his head into the ground. Most of his body had disappeared by now. "Where is she?!" The boy shouted, suddenly cursing himself for destroying a digimon with such crucial information. "Tell me!" If Taichi didn't get it out of him now, what he needed to know would die forever with the weakening digimon. His heart pounded, and everything inside him felt like ice.

The Bakemon continued to laugh as he disappeared, his voice quieting until it was completely gone. No trace of the digimon remained.

"Damnit!" Taichi cried, opening his hand to let the knife drop to the ground. Over the years he'd learned to hate himself, but he'd never hated himself more than he did right now. He pounded his fist into the ground before standing, ready to go back to his apartment and sleep. He was done with today. The boy was so angry that he'd nearly forgotten about the woman he'd saved, that is, until she spoke up.

"Chosen.. child..?" She asked, looking nervous. The woman took a half-step forward so slowly that it appeared that she thought it was a risk. "You're a chosen child?"

"Eh, say it a little louder, would you? I'd love to fight off some more digimon." Taichi scoffed, not in the mood to talk to anyone.

"Sorry." The woman looked at the ground, her red hair getting in her face. "I'm just surprised to meet one of you. You're all.. hiding.."

"Well what else are we supposed to do?" Taichi asked, like he took her comment as an insult.

"Well you just saved me." The woman replied. "You're really courageous, you know that?"

The color drained from Taichi's face. It'd been awhile since someone called him courageous. He couldn't even call himself courageous anymore. The word made him sick. "I'm not."

"Well, no matter." The woman replied, straightening up a bit. "Let me introduce myself," she stuck out her hand to the boy, "I think my name might ring a bell. I'm Izumi Kaori."

Taichi stared down at her hand. He had already decided he wasn't going to shake it- that was, until he heard her name. "Izumi?" He questioned, still skeptical. He'd learned again earlier that day not to get his hopes up.

"Izumi." She repeated, her face brightening a bit. "I believe you know my cousin."

Taichi stared at her. Was this some sort of trick too? No, it couldn't be. Why would she want to harm him- he just saved her life! But he couldn't ask any questions here. The fact that the woman had said Izumi aloud put them at risk. One could never know who was watching. A loud caw suddenly thundered through the sky, sucking the boy back into reality.

Taichi took the woman's hand and shook it before tugging at her a bit. "Come on," he whispered, "we should go somewhere else."

* * *

"Yamato, are you sure you want to go out again?"

"Of course I'm sure."

"Yamato.."

"You're not going to change my mind."

Gabumon looked up at his partner, disappointed. "But Yamato, I worry so much when you're out there by yourself! At least let me come with you!"

Yamato scowled. "That would just get us into more trouble. They'd notice you right away."

"Yamato..."

The blonde ignored his digimon as he continued getting ready. He pulled his sneakers onto his feet and zipped his black jacket up tight. He wanted to blend in with the darkness. The boy undid one of the larger pockets and dropped a couple of small knives in. He kept one in his hand and twirled it expertly through his fingers. He didn't cut himself, he never did.

"Yamato, can you just-"

"NO!" The blonde yelled, throwing the knife at the wall in front of him. It made a perfect 90-degree angle once it impacted. A kill. "I'm going!"

"But why?"

Yamato got off his bed and walked towards the door. "Because it's hard enough to live with myself already." The boy stormed over to the wall and ripped his knife from it. It left a mark, but it blended in with the other marks Yamato'd made over time. He pulled his hood over his long blonde hair before walking out into the night.

Gabumon sighed with worry once his partner shut the door. He knew the drill, though. If he wasn't back by sunrise, something had gone terribly wrong. It would be a long wait, but for Yamato he would do it. He would do anything.

On the other side of the door, Yamato paused. For a split second he considered going back in and apologizing, but he knew that would take too long. Someone could get hurt in the time it took him to do that. Instead, he walked speedily towards the stairs, ready for another night of _fun_. The knives in his pocket clinked together, so he had to hold his pocket in order to be more silent. As he walked past each of the building's other doors, he noticed that all the lights were off. It was just like every other night. People hid in their homes after curfew, hoping that their family wouldn't be bothered. Yamato had lucked out so far- if anyone ever came looking for him, he was never there to meet them.

However, he seriously doubted that anyone knew his real identity. Although he went out every night, he was careful about it. He always took a different route home, even if it took him a long time. He didn't want to be tracked. So far, he was safe. As for his friends, though, he had no idea. He hadn't seen them in years. The only other chosen child he kept in contact with was his little brother, but even that was rare. Yamato missed the boy more than he'd like to admit, but he didn't want to put him in danger. It was better to stay apart, to stay hidden. Knowing Takeru was safe was one of the few things that kept him sane.

It'd been hard living for the last six years. For most of it, he'd been on his own. Before his adventures in the digital world, he wouldn't have minded the solidarity. In fact, he would have reveled in it. Now though, he'd gotten used to friends. His fellow chosen children had taught him that it was okay to let people in, and they taught him that crucial lesson just before they were taken away. Now, the quiet of his apartment only reminded him of what could have been. For once in his life, he could have been a part of something. Well, he was for awhile, and that hurt.

Yamato shook his head back and forth. At least he had Gabumon, although his constant worrying did get annoying he appreciated it none-the-less. He was a good friend. He was the only one Yamato had left. However, he was also his biggest worry. Gabumon wasn't supposed to be in the real world. If he was caught by Myotismon or any of his henchmen, he'd be killed. What would Yamato do then? The answer scared him too much to think about it.

After awhile of walking or thinking, Yamato's ears perked up. There were some frantic voices up ahead, and he'd found his first adventure of the night. The boy picked up his speed but stayed close to the walls so the shadows would hide him. He was close now- the voices were coming from around the corner. Yamato turned his head so he could see around it without being seen himself. What he found didn't surprise him. Actually, it was rather routine. A Bakemon had cornered a man out past curfew. The fellow appeared to be rather confused- stumbling around, but worried none-the-less. Was he drunk? Yamato rolled his eyes. Great, he'd be saving someone who wasn't even out for a good reason.

Carefully, Yamato reached into his pocket for a knife, careful not to let them jingle. Bakemon were easy targets, he just needed one shot. Normally, he would have trusted his aim and just thrown the knife, but for some reason the blonde had an interest in drawing out his small form of revenge tonight. He held his arm out and tried to figure out whether hitting his target in the head or the back would hurt more. The boy shut one eye and bit his lip, unaware of the other Bakemon who approached him from behind.

Normally, something would have tipped him off. Yamato knew when he wasn't alone. But tonight, something was off with him. His mind was elsewhere. Gabumon was right- perhaps he shouldn't have gone out, but Yamato didn't realize that until he felt the Bakemon's metal claws tightening around his neck. Sure, that surprised the blonde, but Bakemon were still dumb. The boy gripped his knife in his hand and stabbed the ghost without needing to turn around, hurriedly drawing in air once the digimon released it's grip on him. However, that was noisy. Too noisy. The other Bakemon turned around to see what the commotion was- successfully letting the drunk man get away- much to Yamato's frustration. This wasn't exactly how he'd pictured his rescue effort playing out.

"REBEL! REBEL!" The ghost shouted instinctively as he watched his comrade disintegrate into thousands of digital pieces.

"Fifty-one..." Yamato muttered, sure he had the highest count of kills in the city. However, his satisfaction didn't last long. The Bakemon had labeled him as a rebel? Right. Most digimon Yamato ran into did, but the blonde would never call himself one. Why would he want to be affiliated with _any_ of the RHQs? They were all failures in his opinion. Yamato made a difference, but he did it in his own way. Just tonight, his own way seemed to be getting him into more trouble than he'd bargained for.

"BACKUP!" The ghost digimon continued to call into the night. His voice echoed throughout the streets and sent a shiver down Yamato's back. This was about to get annoyingly ugly, and he decided it was time to leave. While the Bakemon was busy shouting, the blonde made his escape. He slipped back into the shadows of an alleyway and tried to find a path he recognized. It was time to call it quits. Although the boy wasn't able to do as much as he'd wanted to that night, he'd still helped someone- albeit he was _very_ drunk.

Yamato had just regained his composure when he heard a loud caw coming from the sky. The boy ducked under a fire escape, certain the shadows would conceal him. So the Bakemon's 'back-up' could fly, eh? Alright, so that'd keep him out a little longer, but whoever was coming would have no way to find him. Even a flying digimon with the best sight couldn't see into the shadows. The blonde remained perfectly still as the cawing became louder and louder. He tried to silence his breath, which made his chest shake as it rose slowly up and down.

'_Quiet,'_ he thought to himself, _'stay quiet.'_

He stared up. He could feel something coming. For a split second, through the gap in the alleyway that let the night shine through, he saw it: the flying digimon. It was too familiar. It's orange, fiery wings danced through Yamato's memory. He knew who that was, and his pupils grew small with panic at the realization. It was Birdramon.

"Sora!"

His voice was quiet, but urgent. The sound of it caused his heart to jump. He'd scared himself. He hadn't planned to say his old friend's name out loud, but it pushed it's way through his lips. Yamato let out a heavy exhale as he looked back up into the sky. Birdramon flew by again, and he could see that her eyes were unnaturally red. Was Birdramon working with Bakemon? Birdramon was called to hunt him down! Again, his voice forced it's way up his throat.

"No!"

Yamato bit his lip. He was worried that he'd give himself away, but that wasn't his biggest fear right now. Although he hadn't seen the bearer of love in years, the sight of her digimon forced his old feelings for her to the front of his mind, clouding his brain with worry. If Birdramon was working with the Bakemon, what the hell had happened to Sora? As Birdramon began to fly farther away, apparently thinking she'd covered that area, Yamato made a run for it. He dashed in and out of the shadows until he made it back to his small apartment, hearing Birdramon's distant caw the entire way.

As soon as the boy's door creaked open, Gabumon came running to it like he was about to attack an intruder. "Who- oh, Yamato? You're back already?!"

All the blonde could do was nod as he unzipped his jacket, trying to cool down from his run.

"What happened?" Gabumon asked, knowing that Yamato never came back early unless something forced him to. The small digimon looked at his partner with worry. "Are you hurt?"

"No." Was all Yamato replied before dashing into his bedroom, a small room that was connected to the main living area. There was only enough room in it for his bed and a nightstand. The boy tore open the drawer and began digging around in it.

"Yamato?" Gabumon questioned again, moving so he was in the doorway of the room. "What happened? What are you looking for?"

"Why do you always have so many questions?!" Yamato snapped, instantly feeling bad about it. "Sorry. I'm looking for- ah! Here it is." The boy held up his digivice. It's been awhile since he touched it, that was made clear by the thin layer of dust over the screen.

"What are you doing with that?!" Gabumon instantly exclaimed. "Put that back, someone will see you with it!"

Yamato ignored him. He sat down onto his bed and brushed the dust off the screen with one of his fingertips. Hopefully it would work. He pressed some buttons, just trying to see if it would activate. It didn't. Why did he think it would? The damned thing hadn't worked for years- not since the connection between the digital world and the real world was severed.

"Shit!" Yamato swore through grit teeth, his jaw tight. For a moment, he thought about throwing the small device against the wall, wanting to see it shatter into a million small pieces. However, he let it fall quietly out of his hand. It fell to the floor and rolled towards Gabumon, stopping against one of his large feet.

The digimon stared at it a second before picking it up. He wondered why Yamato suddenly had such an interest in it, and why he'd gotten so angry once he discovered it still wasn't working. Yamato knew it didn't work. What was the point? Gabumon rolled it over in his paw and brushed it off completely before walking over to his partner and nervously holding it out towards him. "Yamato," he began, his large eyes filled with worry, "please tell me what's wrong. As your friend, I'm tired of not being able to help you with your problems."

Yamato sighed as he stared at the device in his partners hand. If he was going to start treating Gabumon better like he told himself he would, this was as good a time as any. "I'm.. I'm sorry.." he muttered, too ashamed to look at his old friend. "I just got really nervous tonight and.. I'm tired of being so nervous all the time."

"Is that why you got your digivice?" Gabumon asked, still holding it out to him.

Yamato took it and wrapped his fingers around it. The device felt worn and familiar in his hand. He sighed again. Perhaps he needed to disclose to Gabumon what he saw- who he saw. Every night, Yamato went out trying to be a hero. Now, maybe he really _could_ be one. He _needed_ to be one, especially if his friend was in danger. "Yeah.." he began, pausing, trying to figure out how to accurately convey how scared he was once he saw Birdramon flying around with her bright red eyes. Yamato wasn't used to explaining fear. He never liked telling other people he was scared.

As if Gabumon was reading his mind, he encouraged Yamato to go on. "You can tell me."

Yamato bit his lip. "I was out. I almost instantly ran into a Bakemon harassing this guy. It was routine, so routine. I didn't think that anything out of the ordinary could happen- but then another Bakemon sneaked up behind me. I got him, but the other digimon called out for help and-"

"Did they find out who you were?!" Gabumon exclaimed, interrupting the blonde's story.

"No." Yamato replied, much to Gabumon's satisfaction. "But I think they found one of us."

"What do you mean?" The digimon asked, narrowing his eyes, trying to understand.

Yamato gripped his digivice harder. His knuckles became white and his hand started to shake. "When Bakemon called out for help, a digimon came. It was Birdramon."

Gabumon had nothing to say to that. His eyes went from being stern and narrowed to soft as his blue eyes shook with worry. He bit his lip. For so long, Gabumon had practiced what to say to Yamato if something like this happened. Now though, in the moment, he was at a complete loss for words.

Yamato let his head drop. He grabbed onto his hair like he was going crazy and squeezed his eyes shut tight. "I don't know what to do, Gabumon. For years I kept myself sane by convincing myself that my friends were alright. But something happened to Sora, Gabumon, and I don't know what to do."

* * *

Taichi handed Kaori a cup of water. The glass he gave her was dirty, but he was never the most cleanly person anyways. The woman gratefully accepted it and drank it all in one giant sip.

"That was fast." The boy commented.

Kaori smiled. "I was thirsty."

"I could tell."

Taichi sat down on his crate of a coffee table and let Kaori take up his small couch. There was a silence between them for a few moments before Taichi spoke up again. "So.. you're Koushirou's cousin?" He asked, still not believing the information he'd heard.

She nodded. Taichi was elated. Even though his old friend wasn't sitting there in front of him, he now felt this connection. It made him feel a bit more full than he had in years, like an empty spot in him was filled. He wanted to know more. He wanted to know everything! But, he was nervous to ask about him. "How.. how is he?"

Kaori sighed, sending Taichi's stomach into a sick downward spiral. "You know, he's Koushirou." She paused for a moment. "He's never been good at connecting with people, and now that he's been on his own for so long, I'm afraid he doesn't know how to handle himself."

Taichi kept his eyes on the ground. "I hate hearing that. I wish there was something I could do for him."

Kaori looked solemnly over at him. "You know staying away from him is the safest thing to do though, and he knows it is too."

Taichi didn't respond.

"Hey.." The woman scooted forward on the sofa and put a small hand on his shoulder. "I'll let him know you're okay. That'll make him feel a lot better. Didn't it make you feel better to know that he's still safe?"

"I guess." Taichi responded, still staring at the ground. Sure, Kaori could pass on a message for him, but that would probably alleviate Koushirou's pain for all of five minutes. "What's he been doing?"

Kaori withdrew her hand and sat back again. "He's been keeping himself occupied. He doesn't talk to people much, but he's doing something with the internet for some resistance force. I'm not exactly sure.."

Taichi attempted to smile. "Well I'm glad he's still got some fight in him."

"I'm sure you all do."

Taichi's smile disappeared. "I wish I knew."

"You don't know where they are?"

The boy furrowed his brow. "Not exactly."

"I'm sorry."

"Oh, no!" Taichi tried to brighten up again. "Don't be sorry. I've heard rumors, but I'm not exactly sure what's true and what's false. Half the time, I'd prefer not to know.."

Kaori looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," Taichi sighed, "when I hear that something bad happened, I'd prefer to just think it's a rumor. Sometimes I'm glad I don't know for sure. For example, my friend, er, my really good friend, her mother owned a flower shop. I heard that they turned it into a make-shift care center."

"Well, that's great." Kaori tried to smile, not yet sure where his story was going.

Taichi looked down at the floor again. "Well, not exactly. I, er, I heard at the RHQ in Aqua City that it got raided. Someone found out who she was. I, uh, I tried to find a way to contact her, but it was like she completely disappeared. I know we're supposed to disappear, but it was like she was really gone.." His voice drifted off, and the silence crept back in. Every small sound, every tiny creak in the apartment put Taichi on edge. His chest felt heavy. "Sorry." He muttered.

"No," Kaori bit her lip and looked up at him. "Don't be sorry. It's alright."

But it wasn't, and Taichi knew it wasn't. In the last six years, nothing had ever been alright.

* * *

_Whew! Chapter 1, finished! Thank you all for reading! I hope you all enjoyed it. In the next chapter, we'll get to see what some of the other digidestined have been up to, and some of the questions raised in this chapter might be answered. Once again, thanks for reading! Please take the time to review. It's really helpful, and I love hearing what you all think!_

_-Surflilu.  
_


	2. Chapter 2

Sora was starting to lose track of the days. They were all blending together now. Each morning she would wake up in the darkness, she'd be fed two measly meals in the darkness, and she'd fall asleep in the darkness. Not once did she leave the tiny cell she was cooped up in with her mother. But for as worried as Sora was about herself, her mother was a different story entirely.

The older woman had become quite unresponsive over the past few days. Ever since her shop got raided, it was like she'd lost all her hope. She would barely speak when Sora addressed her, sometimes answering in a single word. The girl looked over her anxiously, but it was like her mother didn't even notice her extended staring. She'd become some sort of droid.

Sora let her shoulders drop as she leaned back against the concrete wall. She'd had enough of being in here and she hated seeing her mother deteriorate like this. In her entire life, if she'd ever needed a parent, this was it. Sora needed her mother _now_, but like always, she hadn't come through. Sora clenched her fists. To be fair though, this was her own fault. Being a digidestined had gotten her and her mother into this cell. It all seemed like yesterday...

"_Sora, no! Don't come in, it's a trap! Run!"_

"_Mom..?"_

"_Finally, our first chosen child."_

Sora shuddered. She hated to admit it, but she'd never been so scared in her life. She'd only been gone for a few hours...

"_What have you done to all the patients?!"_

"_We've speeded up their fate."_

_Sora dropped the medicine to the ground._

"_Come with us, or we'll do the same to your mother."_

"_N..no.."_

The clanking of keys tore Sora for her thoughts, and thankfully so. She hated reliving that memory. It was her fault that her shop got raided, it was her fault that Piyomon couldn't digivolve and protect them, it was her fault that so many people died... And now, it was her own fault that she didn't even know where Piyomon was or if she was okay.

"Get out."

Sora looked up at the open doorway. Phantomon was standing in it, holding a set of keys in his hand. The redhead glared at him as she rose to her feet, using the wall for support. The digimon smiled at her, like he was happy to see her so weak.

"Our master wishes to see you."

Sora narrowed her ruby eyes. "He's not my master."

Phantomon looked like he could spit at her. "If only I had the option to destroy you right here, digidestined, I would. Get moving."

The ghost-digimon backed out of the way and let Sora past, holding his weapon tightly the entire time. However, it wasn't like the girl was going to try and escape. She'd never get out of the maze of a castle Myotismon had built on the island next to the Rainbow Bridge. It's halls were dark and twisted, which Sora thought was fitting considering what the world had become. Even then, the redhead had only seen a small portion of the giant lair. Each day she was escorted from her cell, to Myotismon's chambers, and back. Today would be no different, and she would come up with no plan.

Phantomon slammed the cell door after she'd gotten out, once again not caring to lock it. He supposed the older woman wasn't going to try and escape considering she hadn't left her seated position for about a day now. She didn't even look up as Sora left to see her daughter straighten her posture and walk towards her daily torture with as much dignity as she could muster. The redhead always thought she would have been proud if she bothered to look, but then again, maybe she didn't want to see _anything_ anymore.

Sora could feel Phantomon following her as she walked through the halls. She knew the way now. She walked mechanically, her mind outside of the brick walls she was trapped in. Maybe Piyomon was out there. Perhaps she'd managed to get away somehow.

"_Get in your cell, chosen child. For your crimes against our great master, you'll never see your pitiful digimon again."_

"_You can't do this! Give her back!" _

"_Not a chance. The master has special plans for her." _

Sora stopped in front of a door and waited for Phantomon to open it. He seemed to be the key bearer of this place. He must have had at least twenty golden keys clanking by his side at all times. He held his staff in his left hand and pushed the large stone door open with his other. "Get in, our lord will be up momentarily."

So, it was nearly sundown. Although Myotismon had control over Tokyo, he was still a vampire, which meant that he hid in the shadows during the day. The door was shut and locked behind her, and Sora noticed his large casket was still closed. He hadn't stirred yet, and Sora had to play the waiting game. She hated this most of all. She wondered if it would be easy to kill him during his slumber. If she could get her hands on a knife or a sharp piece of wood, or anything, it _had_ to be easy to stab his heart and make him suffer. But, would she be able to do it? No, probably not. She hadn't done anything good lately.

After a few more moments of waiting, the lid of the casket rose up, and Myotismon quickly followed it. The first time Sora saw him, she was terrified. His harsh eyes sent chills down her spine that made her entire body shake. However, she was used to his cruel demeanor now and she wouldn't let him get to her. After all, he said he needed her. He couldn't destroy someone he needed, right? To be honest, Sora didn't actually know, but the thought comforted her.

"_It would be so easy to kill you now, chosen child, but that would make you into a martyr, and I don't have time for a rebellion."_

She stood tall as the vampire stepped out of his casket and looked at her, trying to intimidate her as usual. However, Sora knew how this would go. He'd ask her where the other chosen children where, and she would say she didn't know. Then he'd threaten her, and depending on what type of mood he was in, things would progress from there.

"Good evening, bearer of love." Myotismon smirked, flashing his fangs.

Sora remained silent, but she didn't break their eye contact. Her lips were firmly shut and her eyes were angry.

The vampire-digimon frowned. "Silent again, I see." He took a few steps towards her and stared down. The monster must have been at least five feet taller than her. "I'll start off by asking nicely, where are the others?"

Still, Sora remained silent, her glare unfaltering.

Myotismon's frown thickened and he narrowed his eyes. He raised his hand and Sora only had time to flinch before he knocked her to the ground. The redhead winced in pain, but she wouldn't show him mental weakness. Even if she knew where the other digidestined were, she would never tell.

Myotismon stood over her now. "Where are the others?!"

Sora lifted her head, trying to ignore the pain in her side. "I told you, I don't know." Each time Myotismon asked, the girl said she didn't know. The truth was that she wasn't lying. Part of the digidestineds plan to separate was because of this exact scenario. If no one knew where the others were, how would they be able to tell, even if they fell into Myotismon's dirty hands?

"Liar!" Myotismon reached down and pulled her up by her hair, causing her to wince again. He must have been in a bad mood- he didn't normally act _this_ aggressively with her. "Tell me!" His face was in hers now, and his voice was getting louder.

"I don't know!" Sora kicked her feet, realizing Myotismon had pulled her completely off the ground. She winced again, but still looked angry.

The digimon glared at her, and the cruel look in his eyes told the girl that he was close to throwing her. However, much to her surprise, he didn't. He dropped her to the ground and started laughing. "That's funny, because your digimon came across a chosen child last night."

Now that took Sora by surprise. She felt her eyes widen and she hoped Myotismon didn't notice it. He must have though, because he took that opportunity to torture her with the information. "Oh, that's right, I haven't told you about your digimon, have I? Silly me."

Sora got to her knees and looked up at him, her ruby orbs on fire. She didn't need to respond to him, she knew he'd continue either way.

"You see, she works for me now."

"That's not true. She would never!"

"Oh," Myotismon smiled sadisticly, "but she does. It was easy to corrupt her simple mind. It only took a little bit of dark-"

"NO!" Sora's eyes widened again, but this time it was because of her own outburst. Had she really just shown weakness? After days of trying to hide it? She cursed herself, and Myotismon beamed.

"After I got word that a Bakemon fell last night- at the hands of an alleged chosen child, nonetheless, I figured that'd be the perfect first mission for her. She behaved quite well. I'll put her to good use in the future."

"The real Piyomon would never listen to you, you scum!" Sora shouted up at him, aware that her emotions were getting out of control. She was digging herself into a hole too deep to get out of. But, this was her digimon he was talking about! Was this even true? The mere thought of it angered her like nothing else had in the past six years. How dare he use her digimon against her!

Myotismon grabbed her hair again and yanked her up so she was close to his face. "How dare you raise your voice to _me_! You're lucky I don't call your digimon in here right now to be rid of you once and for all!"

"Do it!" Sora threatened, willing to take the chance to see her digimon with her own eyes. Had Myotismon really turned her? Was she brainwashed? Was she suffering? All the hope Sora had that Piyomon had somehow made it out okay was crushed, and it was hard to recover from that. "Destroy me! You'll never find out where the chosen children are then! You got lucky with me, but the others will never fall into your hands!"

"ENOUGH!" If Myotismon hadn't been angry before, he was now. He face was inches from hers, and his fangs gleamed in the reflection of her shaking eyes. The sight pleased him, and he licked his lips.

"W-what are you doing?" Sora questioned, her voice now quiet.

"Like I said, girl, your digimon found a chosen child. It was the child of friendship, to be exact."

Yamato? Myotismon had used Piyomon to find Yamato? Was he alright? He didn't fall into the same fate as she had, had he? Sora had thought about her friends a lot over the years, but now the sound of Yamato's name crossing her mind felt strange.

The redhead remained quiet as she waited for Myotismon to finish speaking. The small shield of confidence she had about being safe from an untimely demise felt like it was deteriorating, and she had no clue why. Well, maybe she did, but she didn't want to think about it. He wouldn't.. he couldn't.. She was visibly shaking now, and she hated herself for it.

"Your digimon does a better job of tracking than you do. There's no doubt that I can use her to lead me to your friends. I'm sure she'll be heading back to me, another chosen child in hand, any second now. And that means, I can start exacting my revenge.." He chuckled a little and parted his lips, revealing his fangs once more. They gleamed, and Sora's pupils grew small. She tried to kick again, but she could hardly move. The panic settling into her gut made it hard to think, hard to plan. Was there even anything to plan? Could she even get away? It didn't look likely, but she would try.

Sora pulled her foot back and kicked Myotismon as hard as she could near his knee. It probably didn't hurt him, but the feeling of it shocked him, causing him to drop the girl to the ground once again. She took the opportunity to scramble over to the door, forgetting that she was locked inside. Desperately, she pulled at the handle anyways, realizing that it was her only option, and a useless one at that. Myotismon dashed over to her in a second, spun her around, and pushed her up against the cold stone.

"I'm done with you disobeying me, bearer of love. Now hold still."

Sora cringed. Was this really the end? She couldn't save the world from Myotismon, and now she was going to die at his hands too? He parted his lips once more and leaned in to her neck. His fangs touched her flesh, gently at first, and he smiled once he felt how badly she was shaking. He wanted to revel in it, make it last, but hell did her fear make him hungry. Sora shut her eyes as his teeth broke her skin. Her heart was pounding and her breath was short and quick, as if she'd just run a marathon and couldn't catch her breath.

The redhead felt herself grow weaker and her vision became blurry. Was this what it felt like to die? It was like her body was slowly deteriorating, and her mental self was parting ways with it. It wasn't nearly as uncomfortable as she'd always imagined it to be, but it was still an untimely demise. There were so many things she had yet to do. She'd never see Piyomon again, or her friends. She'd never see Mimi or Koushirou or Yamato or Taichi. She'd never-

"_Sora, I'm coming!"_

The girl opened her eyes again, expecting her surroundings to somehow be different. What did she expect though, to be surrounded by angels and clouds? She was still alive, and she was still in Myotismon's chamber. Where did that voice come from? It was hard to focus with the small amount of energy she had left. A loud bang could be heard from the other side of the door, and then it was thrown open, pushing both the vampire and Sora to the side.

The redhead fell to the ground while Myotismon merely stepped out of the way, curious about and frustrated with who had stopped him from killing his first chosen child. To both of their surprise, it was Sora's mother wielding Phantomon's staff.

"M-mom..?" Sora asked weakly, her eyes drooping. "How did you.."

Her mother looked down at her, and Sora could tell she was scared. She was trying to look strong for her daughter for the first time in days, but the girl could see right through it. Still, the effort meant the world to her. Her mother had gotten through Phantomon and was challenging Myotismon... for her?"

"Quiet, Sora." The woman looked stern. "I won't let him hurt you, not anymore." She held the staff tightly in her hands and glared at the monster.

"M-om..." Sora looked up at the woman in awe. Tears began to well in the corners of her eyes. If she didn't want to die before, she _definitely_ didn't want to now.

Myotismon laughed at the woman. He didn't destroy her right away, which Sora knew meant he wanted to draw this out. He wanted to make her demise painful. "A mother's love," he spat, "how pitiful." He raised his hand to her and stepped closer, prepared to strike.

"Mom.. move.." Sora tried to yell, but it came out as nothing more than a whimper. "Mom... mom..."

But she didn't move. She held her ground. What was she doing? Even if she could buy Sora some time, the girl was too weak to run. Not only would Sora die, but her mom would die too. Why was she doing this? Why?!

The older woman took a swing at the vampire with her stolen staff, but Myotismon easily shoved her aside. She fell hard to the ground, her weapon clanking as it rolled away from her.

"Mom!" Sora yelled, loudly now. She felt like she was getting her energy back, but how? She had no time to think about it, because Myotismon was heading straight towards her to finish his job. But, at least her mother was safe- for now, anyways.

"Stupid child!" Myotismon roared. "Your death is inevitable, and nothing can stop it." He bent down to pick her up, but just as his hand touched the collar of her shirt, a bright red light came beaming from her chest. The digimon reared back and covered his eyes, screaming in pain. "WHAT IS THAT LIGHT?! DAMN YOU, CHOSEN CHILD!"

And suddenly, Sora didn't feel injured anymore. She looked down and saw the outline of her crest through her shirt- it was bright, and it was the source of the light that had scared Myotismon off. She knew instantly that this chance was one in a million- she'd never have time as perfect as this to escape. Quickly, the redhead turned to her mother.

"Sora, go!" She called out, still on the ground. She tried to get up, but appeared to be unable to. Myotismon had injured her in their short fight.

"Mom, no! Not without you!" Sora called back, lines of worry forming on her forehead.

The woman grunted. "Sora, I can't move! Go! I'll be fine! The world needs you! Don't let my efforts go to waste!"

Sora stared at the older woman, mouth agape, tears now trickling down her cheeks and dripping off her chin. Myotismon was beginning to recover now, and it would only be a matter of time before he was on them again.

Mrs. Takenouchi was beginning to look angry. "Go!"

With one last sob, and one last helpless glance at her mother, Sora turned around and ran. She could hear her mother calling after her, telling her to run faster, but as she got further and further from the chamber, her voice became quieter until it didn't exist anymore. The redhead breathed heavily as she willed her legs to carry her faster. She couldn't even look over her shoulder to see if she was being followed- it would slow her down. The only reason she knew Myotismon was now on the chase was because of the loud roar that echoed through the stone hall. Her crest light was dimming, and so was her opportunity to get out of the castle. The vampire was gaining on her. She could hear his fast-paced footsteps.

But where could she go? Where was the exit? All Sora was doing was guessing as she made turn after turn, choosing left over right, or right over left. Were there no windows? No doors? Sora decided to try her luck by going into a room. She stopped outside of a large wooden door and pulled it open, hoping no henchmen would be waiting for her there. Thankfully it was empty, so she dashed inside and closed the door behind her. And then her eyes lit up- a window! There was a small window on the far wall! Sora ran over to it and looked out, the light in her eyes instantly fading. She was a good way up from the ground. The girl guessed she was about two stories up or so, if she used her old apartment building as a reference. But Myotismon was closing in on her, she could hear his voice as he shouted at her to reveal herself. He was nearing her, and she could either die once he found her, or she could try her chances jumping out the window. At least if she jumped, there was some form of hope.

Using her elbow, Sora smashed the glass and climbed up onto the window sill. She could duck through the opening if she crouched. The redhead took one last look behind her, staring just long enough to see the doorknob of the wooden door turn before she jumped.

And she was falling. Sora was only in the air for a second or two, not long enough to form a complete thought before she hit the ground and a searing pain shot up her leg. Instantly, she realized she'd rolled her ankle, but she was alive! At least, she was alive for now. She'd have time to celebrate once she got off of Myotismon's island.

Sora got to her knees and looked around. She was surrounded by water, but the shore of the main city wasn't too far away. The redhead stood, and bearing the pain of putting weight on her ankle, ran as fast as she could towards the shore. With moments to spare, she dove in and started kicking as hard as she could underwater. Did she dare put her head above the surface? Myotismon could be flying right above her, waiting for her to show herself so he could strike. She'd need air eventually, but she was so close to the other side, she could feel it, even if the sensations she felt through her physical form were slowly starting to fade away.

* * *

Taichi painfully tried to keep the conversation going. There was really nothing to talk about. Kaori was a stranger to him, but he felt the need to keep her there. She was his only connection to one of his old friends. It was like a direct port to Koushirou. It was just, well, the silence was killing him.

"Oh, let me get that for you." Taichi said, happy to be able to speak up once the woman finished drinking and put her cup down. He quickly snatched it up and walked it over to the sink, taking his time while cleaning it. After he made sure each drop of water was cleared from it, he went and sat back down, hoping she'd thought of something to talk about while he was up. Apparently, she had.

"Can I ask you something?" She spoke quietly, her eyes locked on his like she was trying to read a reaction he wouldn't show.

"Er, sure." Taichi replied, the tone of her voice making him anxious to hear what she wanted to know.

"If you're a chosen child, where's your digimon?"

Taichi hesitated. He hadn't expected _that._ "I, er.." He fumbled with his words, half of him not wanting to recall what happened, the other half happy that someone had cared enough to ask. "I.. I don't know, really."

And all the familiar feelings came back. All the loneliness Taichi had learned to repress over the years came swirling back into his stomach, weighing him down like an anchor at the bottom of the ocean.

"Sorry." Kaori said abruptly, blushing a bit. Had she been embarrassed for asking? "It's just.. Koushirou still has his digimon- or at least he did the last time I saw him- and he's been a big help. I was wondering if you and your partner had been up to anything. You know, trying to fight back.."

Taichi leaned forward, putting his elbows on his knees and letting his hands dangle between them. "Well," he began, "Fighting back had been the plan. Six years ago, a few weeks after Myotismon first... defeated us..." he said those words with such distaste, "we were trying to hatch a plan. We needed help."

"What happened to it?" The woman leaned forward as well, intrigued.

"Well obviously we couldn't go through with it." Taichi looked up at her, a certain sadness in his eyes. They were empty and nostalgic at the same time. "My partner, er, his name... his name was Agumon... he went into the digiworld, the world Myotismon came from, in order to get help." The boy paused. He didn't realize how long it'd been since he'd spoken his partner's name out loud. It didn't sound real, as if the tiny dinosaur had never existed. "But before he could get back, Myotismon blocked off all the ports between his world and our world. I haven't seen him since."

Both Kaori and Taichi remained silent after that. The air around them became heavy and tense, and Koushirou's cousin shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She wanted to say she was sorry, but would her apology mean anything? No. It couldn't fix his sadness. Kaori had heard a lot about Taichi from her cousin, but the boy who was sitting in front of her now seemed to only be a shell of the boy from the stories she'd heard. He'd been living in this terrible sorrow for the past six years, so no, she wouldn't say anything. Her apology would be unhelpful, and most likely unwanted.

The silence was getting painful again, though. Both of them were searching their minds for something to say, but it was hard for either of them to focus. Taichi could only think of his partner, and Kaori could only think of futile ways to try and cheer him up. So the silence went on, until-

"_CAW!"_

Taichi instantly lifted his head up. "What the hell was that?" He'd heard that sound earlier that night, but he hadn't paid much mind to it until now.

A confused look from Kaori let him know that she had no idea, so both of them jumped up and ran towards the tiny window. Their eyes searched the city, but they couldn't see anything. It was only when Taichi noticed a familiar figure in the distant sky that he began to feel nervous.

"Is that..?" He started quietly, unable and unwilling to finish his question. He squinted his eyes, trying to focus on the distant bird. It was flying closer, getting bigger and more distinct. It was familiar and different at the same time. It was a digimon with bright, possessed eyes. After a few more seconds, Taichi recognized the figure as Birdramon- Sora's digimon.

And his hands tightly gripped the windowsill, but the rest of his body felt weak. His knees shook and his mouth fell open. Time slowed down as he watched Birdramon fly around, obviously searching for someone. Her red eyes scanned the streets, but behind them Taichi could tell she was struggling.

"Do you... do you know that digimon?" Kaori asked, her eyes still locked on it.

Taichi didn't move. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. The last time he'd seen Birdramon, he was fighting beside Sora six years ago. Now she was flying around the sky, her physical form under Myotismon's control, but her mind screaming and crying for help. The sight disturbed him until he finally had to look away, the self-hate building up inside of him once again because he was powerless to help her.

"I used to." Taichi said, his voice shaking as it left his quivering lips. "That's not the digimon I used to fight with."

"Who's is it?" Kaori asked, still staring at the creature, oblivious to Taichi's struggle.

He didn't answer. He turned around so he could lean up against the windowsill without having to look at the digimon, although her calls still rang through his ears like nails on a chalkboard. Taichi didn't want to think about how Birdramon might have ended up in Myotismon's hands, but he didn't need to in order to assume the worst. He'd been good at that lately. But what could he do? Even if one of his... his best friends was in trouble, how could he help? He was useless, especially without Agumon. There was no way he could win, as angry as he was. Myotismon had now taken too many people that Taichi cared about.

"_Caw!"_

The boy closed his eyes and leaned his head back on the glass. He needed to stop thinking- anger was a dangerous thing. Trying to control his pounding heartbeat, he breathed steadily in and out.

"_Caw!"_

Sora was alright. Birdramon would be alright. Someone would think of something to do, someone with a digimon.

"_Caw!"_

Sora was alright. Sora was alright. Sora was alright.

"_Caw!"_

"DAMMIT!"

Kaori, startled, turned around just in time to see the boy form a fist, and with his head still leaned up against the window, he lifted it up and slammed it back into the wall. "Dammit, Sora!"

* * *

Thanks so much for reading the chapter! To everyone who reviewed the last one, thank you! It was really encouraging to hear what you guys thought. If I couldn't PM you back for some reason, please know that I really appreciate any and all feedback that you offered. As always, please let me know what you think as you continue to read.

-surflilu


	3. Chapter 3

Jyou looked down at the young woman he'd been treating as he closed his bag, getting ready to leave. He could tell that the sun was rising from the way the line of orange began to appear over a distant horizon. She'd be alright till he could come back again, though. Her pulse was steady now, and all her wounds were bandaged up.

Jyou stood and took off his gloves, shoving them into his pocket. It'd been a long day. The girl he'd found, Elsa, as he found out her name was, had apparently been injured by one of Myotismon's henchmen, for no good reason too! Jyou'd found her lying in a park. Anxious people saw her on the ground and got away from her as quickly as they could, incase her attacker was still around. Jyou, however, went and picked her up. He picked up all the injured people who wouldn't get help otherwise.

It'd been just before sundown around then- Jyou had no idea how long she'd been lying there for. Thankfully, in her wallet, Jyou found an address and found out that that's where she was living. The poor girl wasn't even a resident of Japan. She was a 12 year old girl when Myotismon attacked, and she was staying with a host family over summer vacation. The host parents informed Jyou that she couldn't get back to her home country of Germany because of the barrier Myotismon put up when he took over. Elsa hadn't seen or heard from her family in six years. She was now an 18-year-old prisoner in Myotismon's evil plot, but in a way, her story was one of the most sorrowful of them all. Jyou wondered how many other kids like her were trapped here. How many businessmen never went back home? How many families came for a vacation and had it never end? How many husbands and wives were separated? How many children hadn't seen their parents?

For a split second, Jyou was thankful for the first time in six years to have his entire family at least be together, but they were still trapped. They were stuck in Tokyo and none of them were safe. The young doctor sighed, but after a few moments more of looking over his most recent patient, he updated her host mother on her condition and left.

"Good grief Jyou, are we back yet? Can I finally come out of here?!" A muffled voice exclaimed from his medical bag. Jyou responded by slapping it against his leg.

"No, Gomamon! Now be quiet, or you'll get us both caught!"

The digimon sighed but listened. The inside of the bag must not have been comfortable, but it was the only way Jyou could bring his friend along with him on his doctor visits. Although it was dangerous, it was necessary. What Jyou was doing was deemed illegal by Myotismon and his henchmen. If they found out that he was nursing people back to health, he'd be killed. Gomamon would be his only hope if he was caught.

But carrying Gomamon along with him was a substantial danger as well. If any of Myotismon's henchmen decided to stop him for a search, he'd find himself in a battle he'd much rather run from. However, these days, Jyou didn't do much running. Although he was scared or nervous 99% of the time, he found that he couldn't run away from things anymore. A city of sick and injured people relied on him, and he couldn't let them down.

Slowly but surely, the day was coming. A spec of the sun could be seen over the horizon, but it still wasn't quite 'daylight', which meant that curfew hadn't broken yet. Instead of walking through the streets, Jyou decided to walk along the outskirts of town to try and avoid confrontation. Avoiding confrontation was always best, in his opinion. He walked along the bay for a bit, trying to stay hidden in the dunes and the brush. His building was in sight, but it would still be a good ten-minute walk, and that'd be enough time to bump into a number of henchmen if he wasn't careful.

"God, Jyou, are you taking the long way again?" The same muffled voice complained from his bag.

"Shh! How many times do I have to tell you to be quiet?!"

"You're the one who's being loud!"

"I am not being-! Ugh!"

Jyou slapped the bag against his leg once more which drew a grunt out from the digimon. Satisfied, the boy went on in silence.

As it got brighter and brighter out, Jyou was able to see farther. He looked out at the sea and wished he could have Gomamon digivolve so they could just swim away. Eventually they'd make it to somewhere else, somewhere Myotismon hadn't gotten to yet. However, it was impossible. No one had been able to break in to Tokyo, and no one had been able to get out. Something out there was stopping people from escaping, and the hairs on Jyou's back rose whenever he thought about what it could be.

"Jyou, I'm getting hungry!"

The chosen child was about to scold his digimon again, but he saw something in the distance that caught his attention. It looked like a person washed up on the shore.

"Hold on!" He said hurriedly as he dashed off towards the figure. He hoped it was a person and not some sort of trap. Even if it wasn't, the sun was up high enough now so anyone would be able to see him running suspiciously. Nervously, he looked back and forth as he neared the figure, a person- yes, it was definitely a person, he could see for sure now.

"Jyou- will- you- stop- shaking- the- bag- whoa!"

"Quiet, Gomamon! It's, it's- oh... no way."

"What is it?" The digimon curiously undid the zipper from the inside and popped his head out, just barely, but still enough so he could see. "Jyou, that isn't..."

The boy fell to his knees next to the girl, plopping his medical bag on the ground next to him. "It sure is. Sora." Even though the girl had aged, Jyou could still identify her in a heartbeat. Her auburn hair had gotten longer, but it didn't go much past her shoulders. The flip of her curls, the shape of her face, the athletic form- it was Sora. There was no question.

As quickly as he could, he pulled out bandaged and scissors and tools of all kinds, not sure what he would need. The thought that he could lose one of his friends made him more anxious than he'd been since Myotismon took over. What in the world happened to her? Jyou leaned down and put his cheek close to her mouth, trying to see if any bit of air was being exhaled from her lips. He was relieved when he felt some hot air hit his skin, but there wasn't much of it. Whatever Sora had gone through, it must have nearly taken the life from her.

"Eh?" As Jyou lifted his head, a strange mark on the girl's neck caught his eye. "What is that? Oh, no..." He ran his fingers over the two dots and realized they were holes. They were teeth marks- vampire marks, and the only vampire Jyou knew of was Myotismon. He'd gotten her. Did that mean he was around? "Gomamon," he said seriously, looking around once again, "We've got to get out of here, now."

The digimon nodded and hid himself back in the bag. As quickly as he could, Jyou dumped his tools back in and zipped it up. Throwing it over one arm, he lifted the girl up with the other. He put one arm under her back and the other under her knees, so he was carrying her like a bride. "Hold on, Sora. You can count on me."

* * *

"Koushirou, Koushirou, why don't you take a break? You've been working all day."

"I can't take a break, Tentomon. I'm so close. I can figure it out."

"Yes, but you're exhausted. Please, sleep."

"I can't sleep."

"But, Koushirou-"

"I HAVE to figure this out!"

And the small digimon was quiet. He hated the way his human partner yelled. Koushirou never used to do that. In fact, he never used to be loud at all. He was quiet and kind, and all his friends knew they could rely on him to find some sort of answer, some sort of solution. Koushirou could always figure everything out. That is, until Myotismon attacked.

Gennai sent the chosen children some sort of prophecy, some sort of puzzle that they had to figure out. As usual, the group had entrusted Koushirou with figuring out the riddle. For hours he worked with it, trying to figure out the secret, trying to find the solution. However, it was to no avail. Myotismon digivolved, and because of his failure, the digidestined were unprepared to battle this new level of evolution.

He was at fault for everything. Tokyo got taken over because he couldn't figure out the puzzle. He couldn't crack the code. Everyone was relying on him, and he let them all down. Of course, many of his friends tried to convince him that it wasn't actually his fault, but he wouldn't listen. He could have done more. He should have been able to figure it out, he was smarter than that. He'd dedicated nearly his entire life to computer work, and he couldn't figure out one simple code?

"_Koushirou, what are you doing?! We have to get out of here!"_

"_This is my fault, Mimi! Look at this! It's all my fault!"_

"_No it's not! Stop thinking like that, now come on, we have to get out of here! He'll get you!"_

"_I can't!"_

"_Koushirou, come on! Without you, we wouldn't have even had a chance! Now let's go!"_

Mimi had been the nicest out of all of them. He'd nearly believed her, but then one of his other friends had knocked him down again.

"_Koushirou, why couldn't you have tried a little harder?! We failed!"_

"_Taichi, I tried, I swear! I'm sorry!"_

"_Damnit, Koushirou!"_

The redhead grunted and slammed his computer shut. He was tired of replaying everything in his mind. There was no hell worse than his memories, but they were all he had left. He hadn't seen his friends since just after they lost the battle, and all of them were too preoccupied with other things to console him. They were trying to figure out what to do, where to hide. Should they be around each other? Should they not? The entire time they spoke, Koushirou remained silent. He wasn't the fountain of knowledge he used to be. And the worst part of sitting there, listening to everyone the entire time was the fact that none of them asked him why he was so quiet. They had all lost faith in him and knew he couldn't provide them with the answers they were looking for.

Maybe Tentomon was right. Maybe he should get some rest. He'd been up for what felt like days, trying to figure out a prophecy that didn't even matter anymore. Besides, the sun was coming up. The day was starting and people would be about and Koushirou would want nothing to do with any of them. Sleep sounded like a nice escape from the world, and from the world inside his mind. The puzzle would still be there when he woke up.

* * *

Jyou had decided not to bring Sora where he hid the rest of his patients. At his parents house, Jyou and his dad had managed to start a small hospital. It was nothing special, but it had saved countless lives. However, the boy decided that was too risky. He didn't want Myotismon to find his parents _or_ his patients if he'd managed to track Sora down somehow. So, that was how they ended up at the small apartment that Jyou shared with his older brother. Shuu and Jyou had lived together for about three years now. Jyou decided it was best for him to leave his parents after some Bakemon had tracked him down. His parents were highly against the idea until Shuu volunteered to go with him.

The apartment was nothing much. The two brothers made the best of what they had. There were a few small couches in the main room, no television of course, two bedrooms, and a little kitchen. Jyou placed Sora down on one of the couches and stretched his arms. Man, either he'd somehow gotten a lot stronger or Sora had lost a _ton_ of weight.

Not that she was heavy to begin with, Jyou corrected himself in his mind. As he looked at her, he could tell she'd gotten skinnier though. Her collarbones stuck out and her waist had shrunk, but her weight wasn't the only thing that'd changed. Her face had matured and her hair was longer. She was taller, more grown up. Well, he supposed that's what happened over a span of six years. Kids grew up.

"Jyou?" A voice called out from one of the bedrooms. "Is that you?"

Jyou stared down at the girl for a few more seconds before answering. "Yeah, it's me."

"Oh, good. I was starting to wonder- Eh? Who is that?" Shuu walked out of the room, then rushed over to the sofa upon seeing the girl. "What happened to her?"

"It's... er... it's an old friend." Jyou said, not sure how his older brother would feel about his bringing another chosen child home, especially one that hard Myotismon's mark on her neck. "I don't know what happened, but I know she needs help."

"She certainly does..." Shuu responded, scanning her like he figured Jyou would have missed an important injury. "She looks... familiar. Have I met her before?"

Jyou froze. "N-n..o, I mean, no, not that I... I don't think you..."

Shuu let out a small gasp once he caught a glimpse of her neck. "Jyou, has she been working for Myotismon?!"

"What?!" Jyou became defensive at that. "No! Of course not!"

Shuu leaned in closer to her neck. "Are you sure?"

"Of course!"

"Jyou!"

"I- I- I..." He trailed off. Now that he thought about it, he didn't _actually _know. How could Sora be working for Myotismon?! There was no way! Not Sora. She'd be the last one to ever help him. But as much as he convinced himself of that, he still didn't know. How _had_ she ended up with that mark on her neck? Was she being controlled? Was she _really_ being tracked? Jyou didn't know any of her story, and he'd brought her to his house.

Only in these times would it be a bad thing to bring an old friend home.

Jyou stood straighter and faced his brother. "Shuu, listen, I know this all looks bad, but she really needs our help. I don't know how Myotismon got her, but it's really important that he doesn't find her again, okay? We have to help her!"

Shuu stood up as well and turned to look sternly at his brother. "She's one of you, isn't she?"

One of you? Jyou had never heard being a chosen child phrased like that before. It made him out to be the enemy, someone dangerous, someone who put everyone he cared about at risk. How convenient of his brother to point out his fault, like he always did.

"Yes," Jyou said with a hint of agitation. "She's a chosen child."

"And you brought her here?"

"What else was I supposed to do!? Leave her on the beach?! Shuu, she needs our help and you know it! I'm not letting you throw her out on the streets!"

"Stop working yourself up, Jyou! I never said anything about abandoning her. So kill me, I'm a little nervous. Who wouldn't be? Myotismon _bit_ her! If she's not dead, there's got to be a reason!"

"The reason is that she got lucky." Jyou said, trying to sound confident although he wasn't sure of his words. "Myotismon would kill any of us if he got the chance."

"Then why didn't he?" Shuu asked, his voice still rising.

"I don't know!" Jyou exclaimed, throwing his arms out to his sides. "I don't know, okay?!"

His older brother exhaled loudly and sat on one of the open sofas.

Jyou didn't back down though. He'd grown a backbone growing up under Myotismon's rule. "I'd appreciate it if you stopped asking why one of my good friends isn't dead."

"Sorry." Shuu said bluntly. Jyou knew he probably meant it, but he was too stubborn to say it kindly. "Just, when she wakes up, you need to find out exactly what happened."

Jyou's chest felt a bit lighter. "I intend to."

Shuu sighed again, tangling his fingers in his hair before getting up and walking back into his bedroom. He looked anxious, like he expected Sora to attack them when she woke up. Jyou didn't understand _how_ he could think that, but then again, he knew his brother had grown to be quite nervous over the years. It was like the two had switched spots- Jyou had gained some confidence and Shuu had lost it, and was bitter.

The boy sat down and leaned back in his seat, his eyes still on Sora. He wondered when she would wake up- if she would. He had so many questions to ask her. He was both excited at the opportunity to be able to talk to one of his friends again, but angry because of the circumstances that chance was under. What the hell had Myotismon done to her? Jyou's eyes settled on the two marks on Sora's neck and his stomach plummeted.

* * *

Yamato rolled over as his room began to fill with light. He hadn't gotten a wink of sleep that night. Although Gabumon had convinced him to get into bed and rest, rest hadn't come at all. He was too distracted thinking about his friends and wondering what kind of danger they all could be in. If Myotismon had gotten Birdramon, who else had he gotten?

Yamato sat up and grumbled, dark bags under his eyes. There was no way he'd be able to sleep with the sun coming through his rag curtains. The blonde pushed off the small blanket he had and went to the window, peering out, trying to see what kind of mood Myotismon's henchmen were in today. Once his eyes adjusted to the light and the streets came into focus, though, the boy was shocked. There were henchmen _everywhere_. What was going on?

"Hey, Gabumon! Come in here, look at this!" He called.

The small digimon shuffled in and joined his partner at the windowsill. "Whoa, I've never seen so many evil digimon out at once! What do you think they're doing?"

Yamato scanned the area. "I have no idea." He watched the henchmen run around for a little bit, like chickens without heads. They were scrambling about everywhere, bothering some people, letting some others pass by without a second glance. The boy tried to find some kind of pattern in what they were doing, but Gabumon seemed to have beaten him to it.

"Look at that, Yamato. They're only bothering girls. None of the digimon are stopping the men."

That was true. As Yamato kept watching, he noticed that the digimon let all the men pass by. They didn't bother some of the women, either. Dark-haired girls were allowed to pass, along with the few blonds that called Tokyo home. Anyone with hair with even the slightest tinge of red, though, they were stopped.

Yamato gasped. He'd gotten it. His blue eyes scanned the sky, affirming his hypothesis. "Hey, Gabumon, the digimon, they're stopping all the redheads, and Birdramon's nowhere in sight! Do you think they're..."

"Looking for Sora?" Gabumon finished for his friend.

Yamato nodded. He felt a flurry of hope form in his stomach. Was his old friend alright? He was rather impressed with himself. He knew the years had made him really perceptive, but that was a tricky puzzle to figure out. The blonde would have spent some more time watching to try and figure out exactly what the digimon were doing, but something else grabbed his attention. There was a knock on his door, a furious one.

"Open up!" A harsh voice barked. "Search! Open the door or we'll break it down!"

"Shit!" Yamato cursed through clenched teeth. He dashed over to his bedside table and grabbed his digivice. "Gabumon, take this and hide!"

"Where, Yamato?!"

"_Phantom hand!"_

A large crash was heard as Yamato's front door was destroyed. If whoever was breaking in decided to come into his bedroom, he'd be caught red-handed. He had no time to think. The boy's heart pounded against his ribcage, threatening to burst from his chest. This was bad.

Bakemon were knocking on doors all across Odaiba. If no one answered, they broke in. Myotismon had given them orders to find his escaped prisoner, or else. He was angry, and whenever Myotismon got angry, he often found cruel ways to express his emotions. Each of his henchmen searched vigorously, determined to satisfy their master. If that meant breaking into every apartment in Tokyo, so be it. There was a vicious knock on the door.

As Mimi woke from her slumber, she heard it. She only had enough time to stuff Palmon under her bed before her door was broken down.

Koushirou stood nervously from his desk, side-eyeing his partner.

Taichi had just seen Kaori out, and figured she'd forgotten something.

Takeru heard the knock before his mother did, but decided to let her answer it. He rarely had visitors, so it was probably one of her friends, anyways.

Yamato had settled on stuffing his digimon into the small closet on the far side of the room. He told Gabumon to remain perfectly still and threw some clothes on top of him. Before shutting the door, the blonde tried to give him a reassuring look, but it was hard when he knew there was no way his plan would work. His stomach sank just as the Bakemon crashed into his bedroom.

Jyou stood but remained silent. Shuu ran back out into the living area, startled by the loud knock. Once the voices on the other side announced they'd be breaking in, he used the little time he had to formulate a plan. "Jyou, get that girl _out of here_."

The boy looked down at Sora's motionless form, the familiar feeling of indecision creeping back into his mind. All the confidence he thought he had gained over the past six years had suddenly disappeared. What was he supposed to do? Grab Sora and jump out the window? They'd both die if they weren't caught by any of the numerous henchmen outside. Jyou could hear their cruel voices all the way up on the 8th floor. He wasn't ready.

None of the chosen children were ready.

* * *

"How could you let her get away?!" A large voice boomed, echoing throughout the walls of Myotismon's stone castle.

"I'm sorry!" Phantomon cried, leaning down onto the floor, bowing before his master. "I.. I don't know what happened!"

The vampire digimon glared at him. "You were overtaken by a human woman."

"Please, master, she was strong! I don't know where she got that kind of energy!"

Myotismon growled but remained silent for a moment. "If that girl isn't found, there will be no mercy left to spare you."

Phantomon shook but remained bowing on the ground. "I understand."

"Good. And that wretched woman?"

"Taken care of."

Myotismon dismissed Phantomon so he could spend the rest of the evening in solitude. The vampire didn't like feeling nervous. He hadn't felt nervous in years, then suddenly with the power of a little light, one girl had managed to throw him off guard. How had she done it? Tokyo was filled with darkness! Could a mother's love have really given her enough strength to escape?

Myotismon slammed his clenched fist against the wall. He needed to find that girl. He needed to punish her. Then, after he was done with that, she'd lead him to the rest of the chosen children, and they would all meet their demise.

* * *

**I hope you all liked the newest chapter! Some questions were answered, some questions were raised- who knows what's going to happen next! As always, reviews are highly appreciated. It's motivating to know people actually enjoy what they're reading.**

**Thanks!  
**

**surflilu.  
**


	4. Chapter 4

"Who is it, Mom?" Takeru called, leaning back in his chair. He heard the door open, but he didn't hear anything after that. "Mom?" There was still no answer. Takeru swore the woman was going deaf. He glanced back at his desk, at some paper he was doodling on to pass the time. He'd woken up just a little while ago, and he wasn't quite awake enough to leave the darkness of his tiny room.

Patamon, who was snuggled in Takeru's sole thin blanket, let out a yawn and rolled over, not paying much attention to whoever had decided to visit their apartment.

"Who could be here this early?" Takeru muttered to himself as he stood up, stretching his arms lazily. He walked towards the door, then stopped suddenly, his ears perking up at the sound of unfamiliar voices.

"Patamon?" he turned back towards his bed, speaking quietly. The small digimon didn't respond, so he repeated, "Patamon!"

"Wh-what?" he grumbled, rolling over to face his human partner.

"Do you hear those voices?"

The small digimon rubbed his eyes and sat up, sniffing the air. "Takeru, whoever's here, they smell like digimon to me!"

"Digimon?" Takeru said quietly, walking towards the door again. He cracked it open and peered out, his eyes focusing on the unsettling image of two Bakemon speaking to his mother. The boy's skin turned pale, and he quickly shut the door again.

"There's Bakemon here!" He said, dashing as quietly as he could towards the bed. "Come on, you've got to hide!"

Patamon flapped his tiny wings and hovered in the air, now completely awake. This wasn't the first time Patamon had to hide from an evil digimon, but it was the first time he'd have to do so in Takeru's own house.

"What do they want?" The little digimon asked as he flew over to Takeru's small closet. He nestled himself on the top shelf behind some crumpled up clothes.

"I don't know." Takeru responded, "But I'm going to find out."

"Be careful!" Patamon warned him as he huddled down into his hiding spot.

Takeru heard him, but the blonde was feeling pretty confident. Out of all the digidestined, he figured he looked the most different. There was no way the Bakemon could match him to the small little boy that they remembered.

"What do you want?" Takeru said coldly, stepping out of his room and shutting the door behind him. He caught his mother's worried glance, trying to reassure her. However, she still looked plenty scared.

"Takeru, go back in your room darling, I can handle this."

Takeru didn't budge. For so long, his mother had protected him. She'd worried about him when he went off to fight Myotismon the first time, and he'd barely escaped from that alive. He didn't want to worry her anymore, but he wasn't the child he used to be. Growing up in Myotismon's world had hardened his being, and now it was time for him to protect his mother.

"You heard your mom," one of the Bakemon said cruelly, "get lost. We're dealing with important business."

Well, at least the Bakemon had mistaken him for some young pest, but still, he was angry. There often wasn't a time where Takeru wasn't at least slightly angry, but this topped most moments.

"What business?" Takeru asked, narrowing his eyes. He had no intention of leaving them alone.

The Bakemon who'd spoken before opened his mouth again, but the other Bakemon nudged him in the side. "Don't lash out at this useless kid. We don't have any time to waste, and who we're looking for isn't here."

"You're lucky we're on a tight schedule, you little brat," the first Bakemon spat at Takeru before following his comrade out the front door, "but watch yourself. If I even _hear_ about you stepping out of line, you're in for it."

The blonde held his breath for a few moments, then let it out in one giant sigh once he was sure the two digimon weren't coming back. "They didn't hurt you, did they?" He asked, forming fists with his hands as he looked down at the floor."

"They didn't do anything to me." His mother replied shortly, "But you should have listened to me and gone back to your room. What would I have done if they took you away?!"

"They won't, Mom. They can't even recognize me."

"It's not worth the risk, Takeru."

The boy held his breath. This argument wasn't worth it. "Why were they here, anyways?"

"They didn't say." Mrs. Takaishi replied quietly. "But it sounded like they were looking for someone."

The blonde remained silent. Who could have been so important? Who were they looking for? For years, Myotismon had his henchmen out on the prowl for the eight digidestined children. Why was their search now narrowed down to one?

"Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes." The older woman went on, changing topics so suddenly yet so naturally. The blonde fought the urge to roll his eyes. He hated how confrontations with evil digimon had become routine. As much as his mother tried to keep their lives normal, it really wasn't worth the effort. She could smile and cook breakfast like she used to, but all it took was one glance out the window to remind the boy that nothing had been normal for years. He always thought she needed to stop pretending, but he didn't want to be the one to burst her little bubble of imaginary happiness. He just… how could he act normal when this was all his fault?

Mrs. Takaishi disappeared down the hall and Takeru returned to his room to tell Patamon the coast was clear.

"That was a close one." The small digimon sighed, flying back down to his partner's bed. Unbeknownst to him, the blonde was eyeing a small backpack in the corner of his closet, right near where Patamon had been hiding.

"Too close." Takeru replied. "My mom's not safe with the two of us here."

* * *

"Where do you expect me to go?!" Jyou exclaimed, picking up Sora in his arms. His heart was pounding at what felt like a million beats per second.

"I don't know!" Said Shuu. "Just, away from here! Here, go hide in the kitchen! I'll distract those digimon, and you run for it!"

"But Shuu-"

"Jyou, don't argue with me about this!"

Jyou nodded grudgingly. As much as he didn't want his older brother to risk his safety, he knew the digimon would leave Shuu alone. They had nothing to harm him for- so long as Jyou made it out without being seen. Jyou dashed into the kitchen and shut the door just as the Bakemon burst inside.

Jyou could hear his older brother talking to the monsters, although their voices were muffled. He couldn't make out what they were saying. The boy looked around nervously, Sora's weight in his arms growing on him.

"Ah! There!" He exclaimed quietly, dashing for the small pantry. If Jyou held Sora really tightly to him, both of them could fit inside the small walk-in-space.

"Jyou?" A different voice asked, causing Jyou's heart to jump as he sped towards the pantry doors. "What's going on?"

The boy looked over his shoulder and his eyes fell onto Gomamon, who was sitting across the kitchen floor with crumbs on his cheeks. Obviously he'd gotten into the food.

"Gomamon!" Jyou replied, not sure if the presence of the digimon made him more or less nervous. "I'll explain later, but Bakemon are here! Quick, hide!" The boy opened up the pantry doors and ushered his partner inside. Gomamon didn't hesitate. As quickly as he could, Jyou shut the doors behind all of them and the walk-in-space became dark, aside from a small sliver of light from the space between the door and the wall.

Jyou was trying to control his breathing so he could hear his brother better, but it seemed to be impossible. He exhaled heavily and loudly, the warm air causing him to sweat. "What do we do?" He whispered to his partner, grimacing, trying to hold Sora up against his chest. Gomamon opened his mouth to answer, but he promptly shut it once he heard the kitchen door open. Jyou peeked through the crack and saw two Bakemon enter, a small gasp escaping his mouth. Instantly, Gomamon slapped one of his fins over it and held his breath.

"Did you hear that?" One of the Bakemon said to the other, taking a moment to scan the room.

"Hear what?" The other digimon answered, looking down at the ground. "Hey… look…" His eyes focused on something, but Jyou couldn't tell what. "Are those… crumbs?"

Instantly, Jyou glared at Gomamon. The small seal digimon gave an apologetic look, biting his lip. The Bakemon noticed a trail of crumbs leading directly to their hiding place. It was only a matter of time before they were caught, and the two evil digimon were already hot on their path.

Jyou clenched his teeth together and looked down at his partner, a feeling of odd strength coming over him. In the past Jyou would have been the first one to give up hope, but he couldn't now. He looked down. Not with Sora relying on him.

"Gomamon, listen to me, I need you to attack them. We need to have enough time to get Sora away from here."

"Jyou, but that'll out you! You'll have to go into hiding all over again! Are you sure about this?" His digimon looked up at him worriedly.

Jyou grunted and nodded. "I'm sure."

"Alright then…" Gomamon said, readying himself. "I've been waiting years to do this."

The Bakemon were right up against the door now. They'd followed Gomamon's trail of crumbs to the pantry. One of the ghost digimon reached out to open the door, but just before he could, Jyou slammed it open, throwing the digimon aside. A split second afterwards Gomamon jumped at the other Bakemon, slashing him across the face with his claws.

Both the Bakemon stumbled backwards, shocked at what they were seeing. "Euh.. Digidestined! Digidestined! He's a chosen child, don't let him get away!"

But it was too late, Jyou had already dashed out of the kitchen, Sora still in his arms. He grimaced at trying to run while holding all her weight, so as fast as he could he moved her onto his back and let her arms dangle over his shoulders to make sure she didn't fall off. The girl's head rested on him as he ran out of his apartment. "Come on, Gomamon!"

"I'm coming!" The small digimon exclaimed, struggling to keep up with his partner's long strides.

The two of them ran along, the Bakemon behind them, but not yet close. They'd managed to put a lot of distance between themselves thanks to Jyou and Gomamon's quick thinking.

"I can't run for much longer!" Jyou yelled to Gomamon in between breaths. "We'll have to find somewhere to hide!"

"Eh, here!" Gomamon said, turning suddenly and running down a darkened alleyway. He figured hiding was better too. They hadn't run into anyone else on the streets yet, but it was only a matter of time until someone noticed the small digimon running around. The less people that saw them, the better.

Jyou barely hesitated before he followed his partner into the dark. It was creeping him out, but at least they'd be safe. Gomamon lifted up one of his flippers and waved them down so they could crouch behind an overflowing dumpster. The smell was wretched, but it was the safest thing they could do. The boy could hear the two Bakemon shouting frantically, their voices getting louder and louder. He leaned back against the wall so he could peek through the space behind the dumpster and saw the two evil digimon flying past. They didn't suspect a thing.

"Whew." Jyou sighed quietly, letting himself relax. Gently, the boy took Sora off his back and laid her down so her head was rested on his chest. "That was a close call."

"You're telling me." Gomamon replied.

Jyou leaned his head against the cement wall of the building behind him and shut his eyes for a moment. "When do you think we should go back to check on my brother?"

"Let's… let's give it awhile…" The small creature replied solemnly, aware of how much Jyou was worrying. "Just in case. We wouldn't want anyone to follow us back, right?"

"Yeah."

Gomamon was the one to sigh now. He knew that Jyou wasn't happy, but then again, he hadn't been happy in years. It tore the small digimon apart thinking about the constant stress and guilt his partner felt.

* * *

"What are you doing here?!" Mimi exclaimed, trying to catch her breath. She'd stuffed Palmon under her bed just in the nick of time. The girl glanced behind the two Bakemon who now stood before her, at what _used_ to be her bedroom door. Half of it was still attached to the hinges, but pieces of splintered wood now littered her floor.

The Bakemon stared at the girl long and hard, and Mimi knew if they thought enough about her, they'd figure out who she was. "Get out!"

"You're not really in a position to be bossing us around like that." One of the Bakemon spat, narrowing his eyes.

"Yeah!" The other one added on, before turning to his partner, "but mouthing off like that _does_ make her a suspicious person, doesn't it?"

They both laughed, and Mimi's eye twitched. If only she could have Palmon digivolve and beat the living daylights out of those two, then she'd have the last laugh. But she couldn't do that, as much as she wanted to. That would be more trouble that Mimi didn't want to have to deal with that day.

To be honest, though, Mimi wasn't sure how the Bakemon hadn't recognized her already. Perhaps it was her new hair-do. She always wanted to dye it pink, and she figured it'd be the perfect disguise. She didn't want to do anything else too risky though, so she kept her mouth shut, even though all she wanted to do was beat the living daylights out of those dirtbag Bakemon.

"Search the room." One of the evil digimon said suddenly, glancing menacingly at the girl. "Leave no stone unturned."

And that was the moment Mimi knew she was in real trouble. If they looked under her bed, they'd find Palmon, and she wasn't sure if her and Palmon could take on two Bakemon on their own. They hadn't fought anyone in years! Besides, there could be more creeps on their way, too. The girl bit her lip as she tried to form some type of plan. For years, Palmon had protected her from harm. Now it was her turn to do the same.

"Hey!" Mimi called out, jumping off of her bed. "I thought I told you two to scram! Don't touch my things!"

Both the Bakemon eyed her angrily. They were getting frustrated with her outbursts. The digimon who was searching the room stopped and floated over towards her. "You really need to be taught a lesson about respect for your superiors!"

"Superiors?!" Mimi rolled her eyes, trying to purposefully sound insubordinate. "You two dumb goons have _never_ been my superiors!" Then, the girl put on her finishing touch. She leaned forward and smacked one of the Bakemon square in the face. "I told you to get out!" And then, her tone of voice changed. It became quieter, secretive. "You won't find anything here! I've hidden nothing, so **nothing** will show up."

Mimi bit her lip and stood straight now, hoping Palmon would get the hint. She knew her partner was probably struggling with herself under the bed, trying to figure out whether to come out and protect Mimi, or whether to protect herself. In the past, Mimi and Palmon had discussed what they'd do if anything like this ever happened. Mimi told her partner she'd rather be taken hostage, if she had to be, as a regular civilian instead of a chosen child. Then if need be, Palmon could come and try to rescue her. The girl had hoped that nothing like that would ever have to happen, but as Mimi stared into the vengeful eyes of the two Bakemon, she knew it was about to. She braced herself as the digimon came forward and grabbed her by the arms.

"You're coming with us." One of them spat, pulling her away.

"You won't have me forever!" Mimi yelled back at them, glancing back at her bed one last time. She breathed a sigh of relief. Palmon was sticking to the plan. However, her heart ached- she knew Palmon must be struggling heavily. It was against her nature to let Mimi get into trouble. But, times had changed, and so had the two of them. Mimi was ready for what lie ahead of her. If she was brought to Myotismon, or even just to his castle, she'd be able to get an inside look at what was going on.

Before she knew it, the girl was out on the streets being pulled towards Myotismon's headquarters. People were running around like mad- mother's were pulling their children along, and men were struggling to get home to their families. The city was in chaos, but what for? Mimi was sure she'd find out.

Back at her apartment, Palmon crawled out from under the bed once she was sure the coast was clear. Her eyes were angry, but her heart was sad. As much as she wanted to protect Mimi, she had to obey her partner's wishes. She knew if she didn't that both of them would be in trouble. But now their plan was in action. Palmon dashed to Mimi's bedroom window and scanned the streets. Sure enough, there was Mimi, still in her pajamas, getting pulled away. The little green digimon narrowed her eyes. "Don't worry Mimi, I'm coming."

* * *

Taichi slammed his apartment door after the three Bakemon had finally gone. He turned around and faced the mess that was left. The digimon had trashed the place. His couch was turned over and his closets had been emptied of their contents. The blanket on his bed was torn and thrown onto the floor, and all his kitchen cabinets had been opened. He grumbled something too himself as he wondered where to start cleaning. The boy walked over to his couch and flipped it right side up again, grunting as he did so. Now that was done, but honestly, he was too flustered to start cleaning anything else. What else could Myotismon do to him? He'd separated him and his sister- and he still didn't know her whereabouts. He'd obviously gotten hold of Birdramon, which meant that Sora was probably in danger. And now, after he'd messed with the people Taichi cared about, he'd sent his henchmen to search his house. For a moment, the boy wondered if any of those instances were connected, but he was too exhausted to contemplate the idea.

For as exhausted as he was though, he'd had enough. For years, he'd been a fighter in the night- hiding in the darkness, picking off weak henchmen, saving civilians, but it wasn't enough. It was his responsibility to protect the entire world, and he'd already let everyone down once. After four years of living under Myotismon's rule, Taichi could feel himself cracking.

The boy grabbed his coat and dashed out the door. He had an idea. The streets were starting to calm down now, thankfully. If the Bakemon were searching for something, their search appeared to be coming to an end. People were beginning to walk slower and things didn't seem as chaotic. The boy passed an alley and noticed a pair of feet sticking out from behind a dumpster. He paused for a moment and looked down into the darkness, and perhaps if he wasn't in such a rush he would have checked to see if whoever it was was okay, but he simply didn't have the time. He sighed and continued on. The quicker he got back home, the better.

The boy walked into a bar about 8 blocks away from his building. It looked old and run down, but it held a few secrets if people were willing to look for them. The bartender eyed him from across the counter before walking cautiously over to him. "What can I do for ya?"

"I'm a weary traveler," Taichi began slyly, "I just need to use your restroom."

The bartender put down the dish he was washing and pulled out a key from his pocket. "You know where it is?" He asked.

"I do."

Taichi knew where he was going, but he wasn't headed to the bathroom. This bar was the secret entrance to one of Odaiba's black markets. There was a locked door next to the actual bathroom with stairs that led underground. There were a few other entrances elsewhere, and another bar a few blocks away that hid the entrance to the Odaiba RHQ. Taichi'd been there quite a bit too.

Not many people underground knew he was a chosen child, though. Revealing his identity was risky business. His short haircut hid his true identity quite well, especially when it came to the dimwitted Bakemon, but it also worked on people who were bitter about his original loss to Myotismon. It was never good to run into them.

Taichi held onto the key tightly and walked over to a small corridor that held two doors. He looked behind him before unlocking the second one and disappearing into the dark stairwell. He let his eyes adjust for a moment before stepping more quickly, turning once he'd gone completely down the stairs to take in Odaiba's black market. The underground cavern was quite large, and it would keep expanding in the future as long as Myotismon still had control over Tokyo. There were aisles and aisles of little stands, illuminated by candles.

It was fairly busy for something most people shouldn't have known about. People browsed stands that sold banned food, old magazines, and other reminders of the past. Taichi wasn't here to look for such useless trinkets, though. He was here for a riskier reason.

At the end of one of the pathways of stands, there was one that not many people stopped to look at. Taichi, however, had his eyes glued on it. He pushed past some people, trying not to rub anyone the wrong way. The last thing he needed was to get into a tiff with someone that was up to no good.

He walked past a magazine stand, ignoring the shop owner who nearly shoved one in his face. The older man said something about each issue being cheap, but Taichi only grunted in return. He kept his eyes straight ahead as he walked past a stand that sold knives, the shopkeeper eyeing him curiously the entire time the brunette was in his sight. Taichi felt a chill go down his spine, but he ignored it. Most of the people that visited the black market were simply creepy, not evil.

Unfortunately, perhaps the creepiest man of them all ran the stall that Taichi was headed towards. He was close enough now to make out the outline of the shop at the end of the aisle, even with the dim lighting. There was no sign on it, but you'd have to be really dense to not realize what was sold there. Out on display, there were guns, and behind the stall, there were more guns. There were handguns and rifles and every type of bullet you could ever need. Taichi looked over the selection carefully, and he could feel the shop owner glaring at him.

"You wanna buy somethin'?" The man asked, his voice gruff.

Taichi looked up at him. He was old and overweight, and his long grey hair was pulled back into a low, loose ponytail. A few strands fell down into his face, masking some of his thick, worn skin. He didn't look terribly friendly, to the point where if Taichi wasn't even looking for something here, he would have felt obligated to buy something anyways.

"I do." The brunette said, pointing towards one of the hand guns. "That one."

Taichi decided that one would do nicely. It'd be easy to hide so he could carry it around- he'd take tons of digimon by surprise. And if any of them decided to break into his house again, they'd be in for it.

"That's 92740 yen." The man said, still looking skeptical. He leaned back against the wall and looked the brunette over.

"92740 yen?!" Taichi asked, trying to keep his voice down but still managing to sound shocked. There was no way he could afford that! He only had half of the money he'd need.

"Do I need to repeat myself?" The shopkeeper asked, narrowing his eyes at the boy.

"No." Taichi grumbled, glancing back at the gun. The boy knew he needed it, but how was he going to pay for it? He could do odd jobs around the city and make the money he'd need in a few days, but what if his home got invaded again before that? What if his identity was found out and he was overpowered? Honestly, the thought of being locked away for the rest of his life so he could sit and think about how he let humanity down didn't sound like too bad of an option. It was one he deserved, probably, but he wasn't getting locked up anywhere before he found his sister. The events of that morning had been too close of a call.

"Look," Taichi went on, figuring he might as well try and barter, "I don't have all the money now, but how about I make you a deal?"

The old shopkeeper pushed himself off the wall and leaned slightly over the table. "I'm listenin'."

Taichi knew he'd be able to make the money, it would just take time. But he was also sure the shopkeeper would say no to his offer if there was nothing extra in it for him for waiting. "Give me a week," the boy said, "and I'll pay you what I owe you- doubled."

"Do ya take me for a fool, kid?" The shopkeeper asked, flashing his yellow teeth. "I've seen yer kind before. You come in here thinkin' if ya can just get yer grubby little hands on a weapon ya can save the world, but ya get yerselves killed before I get the rest of my money."

Taichi sighed. "I'm not trying to save the world. I'm not in that business."

The old man leaned forward, his husky voice quiet. "Then what kinda business are ya in?"

"I'm in the business of staying alive, sir." Taichi said simply, trying hard not to look distastefully at the shopkeepers wretched appearance.

The older man leaned back and grumbled something Taichi couldn't hear. He glanced at the gun, then back up towards the boy. "Fine. Ya got yerself a deal. Ya got one week to get me the money you owe me, doubled. And if ya don't, well," he let out a small chuckle, "let's just say I don't ever forget a face."

Taichi nodded, repressing the uneasy feeling that was making his stomach flip. He had a feeling he'd just gotten himself involved in something he shouldn't have, but he needed a way to protect himself. No one was going to stop him from finding his sister. No one.

The chosen child paid the shopkeeper and took the gun, concealing it under his jacket. The growing feeling of uneasiness Taichi felt was pushing him to leave, so he did, just after reassuring the shopkeeper that he'd definitely be back in a week with his money.

The old man stared at him as he walked off, rubbing his chin. He glanced over towards a man from another stall and beckoned him over. "Look at that boy walkin' off over there. Just bought a gun, says he'll pay me double."

The other man pushed his crooked glasses up on his nose and ran a hand through his wispy dark hair. "How many times have you heard that before, Kenta?"

"Too many." He groaned. Kenta watched Taichi walk off for a second longer and dug his hand into his pocket, pulling out the money that he'd just been paid. He split it in half and gave a portion to the other shopkeeper. "Take this and follow him. Find out where he lives. I'm not getting cheated anymore, ya hear?"

The man looked down at the money in his hand, his glasses sliding right back down on his nose. An ill-intentioned smile formed on his face. "Certainly."

* * *

"What do you mean you haven't found her yet?!" Myotismon yelled, standing up from his chair. He raised his hand and forced it down, causing the shaking Bakemon in front of him to be thrown to the floor.

"I'm- I'm sorry, master!" He pleaded, his face against the ground. "She's hidden well, but please, there are other Bakemon still searching! We're going as fast as we can!"

"It's not fast enough!" Myotismon roared, throwing his hand to his side, tossing the Bakemon effortlessly into the wall beside him. The ghost digimon let out a wimper and he fell to the floor again. "Now get out! I don't want any of you resting until the bearer of love is found! Or any of the other digidestined, for that matter!"

The Bakemon picked himself up and hurried himself out. The door shut and Myotismon sighed, slinking back into his stone chair. "Those damn children.."

"Sir, if I may.." a voice spoke from behind Myotismon's throne.

"What is it?" The evil digimon barked.

Phantomon showed himself, bowing slightly as he levitated forth out of the shadows. "With all due respect, sir, are the Bakemon really the right digimon to do this job?"

Myotismon grumbled. "Perhaps not, but what are you suggesting?"

"Master," Phantomon began, kneeling before Myotismon's throne, "send me. Put me in charge of this mission, and I won't fail you."

Myotismon looked at him skeptically. "And how do you know that?"

"Because," Phantomon smiled deviously, "these children are acting like cowards, hiding in the shadows. They won't simply come out by themselves. We have to draw them out, and isn't it convenient, we have someone who's very important to the bearer of love at our disposal."

"Mm." Myotismon thought for a moment, remembering how the bearer of love escaped his grasp. He didn't want to believe it, but her crest's petty power had helped her, along with that wretched woman. The vampire digimon grimaced, remembering the light that shone from the chosen child's crest once he came into contact with it. It pained him to remember, and that angered him. "Do whatever it takes, loyal servant. I want that girl back here, alive. She'll lead me to the other children, and then I'll destroy them all."

* * *

**I am SO sorry that this took me so long to write. I had this chapter done months ago, but then my computer crashed and I lost everything. This is the third time it's happened to me, but it wasn't any easier to try and re-write everything, which is why it took me so long. I tried to recreate this chapter so it'd be the same as it was before, but it didn't come out as well as I wanted it to. I'd just like to thank everyone who's been reviewing and reading this story! It means a lot. I hope you all enjoy this chapter as much as you seemed to enjoy the last three. Once again, I'm sorry that this took so long, and I'm sorry if it seems a bit rushed. I tried to edit it multiple times, but I really didn't want to keep you all waiting anymore. Thanks so much!**

**Surflilu.**


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